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Masculine or feminine?

A language instructor was explaining to the class

Those Spanish nouns, unlike their English counterparts, are

Grammatically designated as masculine or feminine. Things like "chalk" or "pencil," the instructor said, would have a gender association. For example: House is feminine- "la" casa. In English, of course, common nouns generally are of neutral gender.

Puzzled, one student raised a hand and asked, "What gender is a computer?"

The instructor said that depending on which Spanish you use, that of

Spain, or Latin American Spanish, it could be either one: ordenador

Or computadora. But the instructor thought it would be good to decide on one of them to use in class, so divided the class

Into two groups and asked them to decide if a computer should be masculine or feminine e.

One group comprised the women in the class, and the other the men.

Both groups were asked to give four reasons for their recommendation.

The men decided that computers should definitely be referred to in

The feminine gender (la computadora) because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic.

2. The language they use to communicate with other computers is

   Incomprehensible to everyone else.

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long-term memory

   For later retrieval.

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself

   Spending half your salary on accessories for it.

   The group of women, however, concluded that computers should be

   Referred to in the masculine gender (el ordenador)

   Because:

1. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on.

2. Even if they have a lot of data, they are still clueless.

3. They are supposed to help you solve your problems, but half the

   Time they ARE the problem.

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that, if you had waited a

   Little longer, you could have had a better model!!!